God for it!"

Her eyes fell slowly before his. She did not speak, but after a moment
gave him her hand with a shadowy smile. They continued the descent side
by side.

Another curve of the road brought them within sight of the hotel.

Scott broke the silence. "Here is Eustace coming to meet us!"

She looked up with a start, and into her face came a curious, veiled
expression, half furtive, half afraid.

"Don't tell him, Stumpy!" she said quickly.

"What, dear?"

"Don't tell him I have been looking for Basil this morning. He--he
wouldn't understand. And--and--you know--I must look for him sometimes. I
shall lose him altogether if I don't."

"Shall we pretend we are enjoying ourselves?" said Scott with a smile.

She answered him with feverish earnestness. "Yes--yes! Let us do that!
And, Stumpy, Stumpy dear, you are good, you can pray. I can't, you know.
Will you--will you pray sometimes--that I may find him?"

"I shall pray that your eyes may be opened, Isabel," he answered, "so
that you may know you have never really lost him."

She smiled again, her fleeting, phantom smile. "Don't pray for the
impossible, Stumpy!" she said. "I--I think that would be a mistake."

"Is anything impossible?" said Scott.

He raised his hand before she could make any answer, and sent a cheery
holloa down to his brother who waved a swift response. They quickened
their steps to meet him.

Eustace was striding up the hill with the easy swing of a giant. He held
out both hands to Isabel as he drew near. She pulled herself free from
Scott, and went to him as one drawn by an unseen force.

"Ah, that's right," he said, and bent to kiss her. "I'm glad you've been
for a walk. But you might have come and spoken to me first. I was only on
the rink."

"I didn't want to see a lot of people," said Isabel, shrinking a little.
"I--I don't like so many strangers, Eustace."

"Oh, nonsense!" he said lightly. "You have been buried too long. It's
time you came out of your shell. I shan't take you home again till you
have quite got over that."

His tone was kindly but it held authority. Isabel attempted no protest.
Only she looked away over the sparkling world of white and blue with
something near akin to despair in her eyes.

Scott took out his cigarette-case, and handed it to his brother.
"Isabel's birthday present to me!" he said.

Eustace examined it with a smile. "Very nice! Did you think of it all by
yourself, Isabel?"

"No," she sa